Chapter 3 The Dark Side of the Food Industry: Seeking Civil Society’s Silence

• Pages: 60-81
• Author: Slavenska Zec

The Dark Side of the Food Industry:

Seeking Civil Society’s Silence

Slavenska Zec

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61

The Dark Side of the Food Industry: Seeking Civil Society’s Silence

Baby bottles are outdated. Today, we must embrace the

changes offered by the food industry. A mother giving her baby a bot-

tle filled with Coca-Cola — not milk — is no surprise. In fact, this is

quite usual in Argentina. I’ve often wanted to ask the parents about

the reasoning behind giving their newborns six tablespoons of sugar

per bottle. To my surprise, they say this was some kind of “reward.”

However, far from giving kids “joy,” “inspiration,” or “dreams and

desires” (common advertising phrases used by these companies), what

they are drinking is, among other things, corn syrup, ammonium and

sulfides, phosphoric acid, and an increased risk of diabetes mellitus in

the medium term.1 In the case of children, drinking 600 mL of Coca-

Cola is equal to twelve tablespoons of sugar, which is 325% to 425% of

the maximum daily intake.2

In my country, as in many others, Sundays are dedicated exclu-

sively to family meals. For breakfast, we have the most coveted assort-

ment of baked goods: scrumptious butter medialunas (half-moons) and

warm criollitos (flaky buns). The former is an Argentinian rendition of

the croissant, and are usually sweet. Criollitos, of different varieties, are

more common in Córdoba than in the rest of Argentina and are an

ideal companion for mate (a herb-infused hot drink). Thus, the day be-

gins with mountains of fat, sugar, and calories.

Then comes the most important thing. Sunday’s asado (fire-roasted

meat) is a sacrament for all Argentinians. And because we like to stand

out and occupy the top positions, we lead the world in red meat intake.

The ritual begins with a picada, which involves countless sausages, deli

meats, and cheese. And, although the WHO informed us that eating

1 El poder del consumidor [The power of the consumer], “Radiografía

de… Coca-Cola (600 ml)” [X-ray of ... Coca-Cola (600 ml)], Dec. 18, 2013, http://

elpoderdelconsumidor.org/analisisdeproductos/radiografia-de-coca-cola-

600-ml/

2 Ibid.